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( VOL 11, NO. 2
0
A PUBLICATION FOR THE GAY COMMUNITY
Gays and the Mormon Church — Part II
Cures, Witch Hunts
And Working Within
by Don heavitt _
For 24-year-old David Chipman, the
moment seemed right. He had been fight-ing
his homosexual feelings for years, but
now, with his new friend Bruce, he felt it
was time to follow his emotions.
Bruce was only a recent acquaintance, a
man he had met throught an ad in Salt
Lake City's Gay publication, The Open
Door. In the ad, Bruce said he was looking
for people interested in forming a Gay
underground at Brigham Young Univer-sity,
a school run by the,Ghurch of Jesus
Christ of Latter-day Saints, the
Mormons.
David was a recent convert to
Mormonism and had struggled to under-stand
his feelings in light of the strong
Mormon anti-homosexual stand. A few
days earlier he had been called to the Uni-versity's
Security Office and accused of
being, an overt homosexual. In shock,
David quit school.
Now the moment seemed right to
forget about his recent nightmare, to
abandon church doctrine, and to believe
in his emotions. Slowly he moved his
hands over to the body of his friend.
Unfortunately for David, he couldn't
have picked a worse moment.
His "friend" Bruce was really Detec-tive
MaIM Shepard of the BYU Security
Force, on undercover assignment to ferret
out homosexuals. David wis arrested for
"forced sexual assault" and thrown into
jail. A young man's life could have been
ruined, but nationwide attention has been
focused on David Chipman and the insti-tution
that pulls such ruses to entrap
Gays, the Mormon church. Today, Dav-id's
case is a cause celebre among Gay
activists.
Why is the Mormon church so anti-homosexual?
Members believe that God
intended for Mormon men and women to
marry and populate the earth with their
children. From an early age Mormon
youngsters are groomed for their future
lives as fathers and mothers. Sexual activ-ity
outside of the marital bond is consi-dered
a sin, a sin so horrible that only
murder is worse. Homosexuality fallsinto-this
category.'
While other' C hristian religions also
condemn homosexuality, none pursues its
Gay members with the ruthlessness that
Mormonism does. It is the church lead-ers'
belief that there should be no homo-sexuals
in the Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints, and they have done
everything in their power to see this is
true. In a church dominated by men and-know
for its outspoken opposition to the
Equal Rights Amendment, anti-Gay
efforts are aimed exclusively toward men.
Apparently Church officials do not know
that Lesbianism exists.
What happens once the church discov-ers
a member is Gay? In some cases the
local bishop (the head of a local congrega-
PRESIDENT
SPENCER W. KIMBALL
tion, or ward) may choose to ignore it. But
it appears in the majority of cases, espe-cially
in the Salt Lake City area, Gay
Mormons are given two choices: repent
and become heterosexual, or get out. For
thousands of homosxuals who knoiv
nothing else but the Mormon way of life,
the decision is painful. Do they hold onto
their natural feelings despite everything
that has been said about their "evil" con-dition,
or do they try to switch to the
"moral" and "honest" lifestyle? Writes
one disillusioned Mormon, "The young
(homosexuals) are so eager, so desperate
for help that they are easy prey for the
peddlers of positive thinking."
The Cure
It is the technique of church officials to
destroy any Gay identity a young homo-sexual
may have by bombarding him with
scare stories about the horrors of such a
lifestyle. Church President Spencer W.
Kimball is a master of such work. "So
long as you tolerate this 'gay world' and its
degenerate people," he writes in his boo-klet
on homosexuality, A Letrer to a
Friend, "you are playing with fire just like
a child who might be pounding a bomb
with a hammer-. . . Satan tells his victims
that it is a natural way of life; that it is
normal; that perverts are a different kind
of people born "that way" and they can-not
change. This is a base lie.
"Are you ready to admit that you are a
weak victim, the fettered? If you cannot
recover on your own decreasing power,
you should then seek help from your par-ents,
your bishpp, or your stake president
and you can be helped, and you can rec-
Georg .own
Denied ChEA
by Dave Walter
For the second time in as many years,
Georgetown University has refused to recog-nize
the Gay People of Georgetown as a stu-dent
group, and this time around the group is
planning to respond with a lawsuit.
In a letter of rejection delivered to the
group last Friday, Director of Student Activ-ities
Debbie Gottfried denied the undergrad-uate
group's petition fora University charter,
saying, "the University does not view this
organization as an official activity of the Uni-versity"
because the University feels l'recog-nition
"would be interpreted as endor4ement
and official support of the full range of tssues
associated with the (Gay) cause."
In the letter, Gottfried even spelted out
how the University won't recogniie the
group, stating,
"The University will not contribute to the
support of this organization:
I. Through a grant of University funds.
2. By providing subsidized office spa*, tele-phone
service, office supplies, equipment,
postal service, etc.
3. By granting authorized use of the name
JAN. 24, 1980
U. Group
ter Again
Georgetown University."
Gottfried did, however, offer the services
of her office "for help and assistance in plan-ning
educationally related programs."
Associate Dean of Students, Bill Schuer-man,
told The Blade, "it must be emphasized
that this doesn't mean they can't use Univer-sity
facilities or that the University won't
develop programs to raise consciousness, or
provide courses." He adds, "the University
will support and defend human and civil
rights."
Jim Ryan, president of the Gay People of
Georgetown, said he wasn't surprised by the
University's action, since the group was
denied recognition last February, and once
before that in 1973. Ryan says the University
position "shows their typical lack of concern
for students on this campus, and Gay stu-dents
in particular."
Charles Keener, secretary-treasurer of the
group, criticizes the University's expressed
concern over how recognition would be
interpreted. "Our purpose is to help others,"
Continued on page 3
Dutch Parliament Protests
INS Exclusion of Gays
by Michael D. Green
An overwhelming majority of the
Inembers of the Dutch Parlianient is
expected to ask the U.S. Congress early in
February to repeal provisions of the U.S.
Immigration and Naturalization Act that bar
homosexual foreigners from entering this
country.
They also plan to file a formal protest
against U.S. immigration policies sVith the
21-nation Council of Europe on grouhds that
excluding Gays violates principles contained
in the 1975 Helsinki Agreement to protect
the free travel of persons between countries.
A judicial finding by the Council wPuld be
non-binding on the U.S., but woUld add
international weight to efforts alrea0 under-way
here to eliminate the anti-Gay prhvisions
of the law.
A petition being circulated by! Dutch
Labor Party member Harry van den Bergh
on behalf of himself and Liberal Party
member Ed Nijpels has already heeii signed
by 90 of the 150 members_of parliament,
according to Clint Hockenberry, American
-Liaison for the International Lesbian and
Gay Association [ILGA1. -
Another .30-to--40 signatures are expected
by February 5, when four members of the
Dutch Parliament are expected to formally
present the petition to House Speaker
Thomas P. O'Neill, Jr. (D-Mass.), in
Washington, Hockenberry said.
The foreign lawmakerave indicated they
will also seek a meeting with Senate Majority
Whip Alan Cranston (D-Calif.), iVho has
already announced he is introducing legisla-tion
to strike the words "sexual deviation"
from the Immigration law as a grounds for
denying foreign travelers entrance into the
country. Cranston aide Roy Greenaway said
the bill is drafted and ready to be introduced
immediately.
Meanwhile, the State Department is con-tinuing
its policy of instructing consular offi-cials
around the world to deny visas for entry
into the U.S. to known foreign homosexuals
despite the recent refusal of the Surgeon
General to cooperate further in enforcement
of the anti-Gay provisions of the law.
The State Department policy, reiterated in
an October 15 cable to U.S. consular officials
over the signature of Secretary of State Cyrus
Vance, is aLs9, condemned in the petition
being circulated among members of the
Dutch Parliament.
Dutch Gay activist Bram Bol reported to
Continued on page 4
INSIDE:
• Kennedy support
surfaces in Post
— page 3
• Liquor license brews
controversy — page 5
• Rich literary traditions
• and human torture —
page 11
• A new Friends for Eating
Out — page 15
• Gay family turnout
crucial — page 19
p. Continued on page 17

( VOL 11, NO. 2
0
A PUBLICATION FOR THE GAY COMMUNITY
Gays and the Mormon Church — Part II
Cures, Witch Hunts
And Working Within
by Don heavitt _
For 24-year-old David Chipman, the
moment seemed right. He had been fight-ing
his homosexual feelings for years, but
now, with his new friend Bruce, he felt it
was time to follow his emotions.
Bruce was only a recent acquaintance, a
man he had met throught an ad in Salt
Lake City's Gay publication, The Open
Door. In the ad, Bruce said he was looking
for people interested in forming a Gay
underground at Brigham Young Univer-sity,
a school run by the,Ghurch of Jesus
Christ of Latter-day Saints, the
Mormons.
David was a recent convert to
Mormonism and had struggled to under-stand
his feelings in light of the strong
Mormon anti-homosexual stand. A few
days earlier he had been called to the Uni-versity's
Security Office and accused of
being, an overt homosexual. In shock,
David quit school.
Now the moment seemed right to
forget about his recent nightmare, to
abandon church doctrine, and to believe
in his emotions. Slowly he moved his
hands over to the body of his friend.
Unfortunately for David, he couldn't
have picked a worse moment.
His "friend" Bruce was really Detec-tive
MaIM Shepard of the BYU Security
Force, on undercover assignment to ferret
out homosexuals. David wis arrested for
"forced sexual assault" and thrown into
jail. A young man's life could have been
ruined, but nationwide attention has been
focused on David Chipman and the insti-tution
that pulls such ruses to entrap
Gays, the Mormon church. Today, Dav-id's
case is a cause celebre among Gay
activists.
Why is the Mormon church so anti-homosexual?
Members believe that God
intended for Mormon men and women to
marry and populate the earth with their
children. From an early age Mormon
youngsters are groomed for their future
lives as fathers and mothers. Sexual activ-ity
outside of the marital bond is consi-dered
a sin, a sin so horrible that only
murder is worse. Homosexuality fallsinto-this
category.'
While other' C hristian religions also
condemn homosexuality, none pursues its
Gay members with the ruthlessness that
Mormonism does. It is the church lead-ers'
belief that there should be no homo-sexuals
in the Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints, and they have done
everything in their power to see this is
true. In a church dominated by men and-know
for its outspoken opposition to the
Equal Rights Amendment, anti-Gay
efforts are aimed exclusively toward men.
Apparently Church officials do not know
that Lesbianism exists.
What happens once the church discov-ers
a member is Gay? In some cases the
local bishop (the head of a local congrega-
PRESIDENT
SPENCER W. KIMBALL
tion, or ward) may choose to ignore it. But
it appears in the majority of cases, espe-cially
in the Salt Lake City area, Gay
Mormons are given two choices: repent
and become heterosexual, or get out. For
thousands of homosxuals who knoiv
nothing else but the Mormon way of life,
the decision is painful. Do they hold onto
their natural feelings despite everything
that has been said about their "evil" con-dition,
or do they try to switch to the
"moral" and "honest" lifestyle? Writes
one disillusioned Mormon, "The young
(homosexuals) are so eager, so desperate
for help that they are easy prey for the
peddlers of positive thinking."
The Cure
It is the technique of church officials to
destroy any Gay identity a young homo-sexual
may have by bombarding him with
scare stories about the horrors of such a
lifestyle. Church President Spencer W.
Kimball is a master of such work. "So
long as you tolerate this 'gay world' and its
degenerate people," he writes in his boo-klet
on homosexuality, A Letrer to a
Friend, "you are playing with fire just like
a child who might be pounding a bomb
with a hammer-. . . Satan tells his victims
that it is a natural way of life; that it is
normal; that perverts are a different kind
of people born "that way" and they can-not
change. This is a base lie.
"Are you ready to admit that you are a
weak victim, the fettered? If you cannot
recover on your own decreasing power,
you should then seek help from your par-ents,
your bishpp, or your stake president
and you can be helped, and you can rec-
Georg .own
Denied ChEA
by Dave Walter
For the second time in as many years,
Georgetown University has refused to recog-nize
the Gay People of Georgetown as a stu-dent
group, and this time around the group is
planning to respond with a lawsuit.
In a letter of rejection delivered to the
group last Friday, Director of Student Activ-ities
Debbie Gottfried denied the undergrad-uate
group's petition fora University charter,
saying, "the University does not view this
organization as an official activity of the Uni-versity"
because the University feels l'recog-nition
"would be interpreted as endor4ement
and official support of the full range of tssues
associated with the (Gay) cause."
In the letter, Gottfried even spelted out
how the University won't recogniie the
group, stating,
"The University will not contribute to the
support of this organization:
I. Through a grant of University funds.
2. By providing subsidized office spa*, tele-phone
service, office supplies, equipment,
postal service, etc.
3. By granting authorized use of the name
JAN. 24, 1980
U. Group
ter Again
Georgetown University."
Gottfried did, however, offer the services
of her office "for help and assistance in plan-ning
educationally related programs."
Associate Dean of Students, Bill Schuer-man,
told The Blade, "it must be emphasized
that this doesn't mean they can't use Univer-sity
facilities or that the University won't
develop programs to raise consciousness, or
provide courses." He adds, "the University
will support and defend human and civil
rights."
Jim Ryan, president of the Gay People of
Georgetown, said he wasn't surprised by the
University's action, since the group was
denied recognition last February, and once
before that in 1973. Ryan says the University
position "shows their typical lack of concern
for students on this campus, and Gay stu-dents
in particular."
Charles Keener, secretary-treasurer of the
group, criticizes the University's expressed
concern over how recognition would be
interpreted. "Our purpose is to help others,"
Continued on page 3
Dutch Parliament Protests
INS Exclusion of Gays
by Michael D. Green
An overwhelming majority of the
Inembers of the Dutch Parlianient is
expected to ask the U.S. Congress early in
February to repeal provisions of the U.S.
Immigration and Naturalization Act that bar
homosexual foreigners from entering this
country.
They also plan to file a formal protest
against U.S. immigration policies sVith the
21-nation Council of Europe on grouhds that
excluding Gays violates principles contained
in the 1975 Helsinki Agreement to protect
the free travel of persons between countries.
A judicial finding by the Council wPuld be
non-binding on the U.S., but woUld add
international weight to efforts alrea0 under-way
here to eliminate the anti-Gay prhvisions
of the law.
A petition being circulated by! Dutch
Labor Party member Harry van den Bergh
on behalf of himself and Liberal Party
member Ed Nijpels has already heeii signed
by 90 of the 150 members_of parliament,
according to Clint Hockenberry, American
-Liaison for the International Lesbian and
Gay Association [ILGA1. -
Another .30-to--40 signatures are expected
by February 5, when four members of the
Dutch Parliament are expected to formally
present the petition to House Speaker
Thomas P. O'Neill, Jr. (D-Mass.), in
Washington, Hockenberry said.
The foreign lawmakerave indicated they
will also seek a meeting with Senate Majority
Whip Alan Cranston (D-Calif.), iVho has
already announced he is introducing legisla-tion
to strike the words "sexual deviation"
from the Immigration law as a grounds for
denying foreign travelers entrance into the
country. Cranston aide Roy Greenaway said
the bill is drafted and ready to be introduced
immediately.
Meanwhile, the State Department is con-tinuing
its policy of instructing consular offi-cials
around the world to deny visas for entry
into the U.S. to known foreign homosexuals
despite the recent refusal of the Surgeon
General to cooperate further in enforcement
of the anti-Gay provisions of the law.
The State Department policy, reiterated in
an October 15 cable to U.S. consular officials
over the signature of Secretary of State Cyrus
Vance, is aLs9, condemned in the petition
being circulated among members of the
Dutch Parliament.
Dutch Gay activist Bram Bol reported to
Continued on page 4
INSIDE:
• Kennedy support
surfaces in Post
— page 3
• Liquor license brews
controversy — page 5
• Rich literary traditions
• and human torture —
page 11
• A new Friends for Eating
Out — page 15
• Gay family turnout
crucial — page 19
p. Continued on page 17